Oct 1, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is interviewed by reporters during media day at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

According to the Denver Post, Denver Nuggets’ GM Masai Ujiri is expected to be named the Executive of the Year award Thursday morning.

The Nuggets released a statement saying that there was a “major announcement” coming Thursday, which is typically a cliff-hanging way to say that an award is coming.

Denver Nuggets’ head coach George Karl was named the Coach of the Year on Wednesday morning so it’s fitting that the league’s announcement on Ujiri should come 24 hours after the Coach of the Year award was announced.

Ujiri, the first African-American born general manager in major American sports was the man in charge of putting together a roster after the Carmelo Anthony saga. The roster he designed put together 57 wins and won a league-leading 38 games at home during the 2012-13 season.

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He will be in charge of reloading the team next year, with Andre Iguodala’s contract talks hovering over Denver’s off-season. There is also those around the league who believe that Ujiri will package together a group of his young core to attain a superstar player that will take the Nuggets to the next level.

There has been an unsettling feeling among Nuggets fans who have been looking for blame to place in response to Denver’s 4-2 loss in the first round of the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors. In time, I think people will realize that the Nuggets ran into one of the NBA’s hottest teams in their peak form.

It has to be encouraging, looking ahead, with the league’s Coach and Executive of the year.

May 8, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl during the press conference announcing him NBA coach of the year at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

George Karl was emotional in accepting the Coach of the Year award. The award, the first of his career, bolsters his resume even more for the Hall of Fame. Watch below:

Transcript:

“So much of coaching is you cheat your family. And I want Kim to be here and my daughter Casey because I know I’m cheating them. And I thank everybody… *wipes away tears* Okay I’ll keep going… But all I’m saying is that friends and family are so so important to what I’ve become and what I am, and without them you can not be successful. Without the basketball assistant family of trainers an Steve Hess, and Goofy, Sparky and so many things along the way that make us laugh and make us come together and make us commit to doing it the right way. And fighting through the tough days. And I think, what I hope, that everybody understands is that this isn’t about me. It’s about a lot of people. And a lot of people in my past. And I am proud to have that trophy.”

It’s really awesome to see Karl open up on his thoughts of his own family and the family of basketball people around him. Rarely do you get to see those moments of reality throughout the season. The award was well-deserved and couldn’t have gone to a better man.

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